Children exposed to dangers in student exchanges

PARENTS may be inadvertently sending their children into danger by allowing them to take part in student exchanges, a child safety expert has warned.

UniSA Emeritus Professor in Child Development Freda Briggs has highlighted the danger in her new child safety book, Child Protection, to be launched by Ita Buttrose at UniSA's City West campus on Sunday.

The book includes a chapter about overseas exchanges, and sports and choir trips.

Prof Briggs said the dangers pupils faced included physical neglect and psychological and sexual abuse. In one case, documented by former US student exchange placement counsellor Danielle Grijalva, an Australian girl was stalked by a host father after she was removed from an overseas home stay.

However, some countries did not have regulations, restrictions or police checks on host families, she said.

"Parents wouldn't dream of sending their kids to go around the corner and stay with strangers in the next street, but they send them overseas trusting in the organisation and the school that their children will be safe," Prof Briggs said.

"There are 1500 registered organisations and a lot that are not registered just in the US."

A Department of Education and Child Development spokeswoman said 79 SA students went on overseas exchanges last year. Nationally, 180 students went to the US alone this year.

The organisations that placed students were required to prove all host family members had undergone a police check.

"For the few countries where these checks are not available, it is required that student exchange organisations advise parents ... (and) implement alternative vetting procedures approved by the relevant state/territory registration authorities," the spokewoman said.

Ms Grijalva has set up a Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students website www.csfes.org.